Golden-cheeked woodpecker

Golden-cheeked woodpecker
	Golden-cheeked woodpecker (male)
Systematics
Class :	Birds (aves)
Order :	Woodpecker birds (Piciformes)
Family :	Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Subfamily :	Real woodpeckers (Picinae)
Genre :	Melanerpes
Type :	Golden-cheeked woodpecker
Scientific name
	Melanerpes chrysogenys
	( Vigors , 1839)

The Gold cheeks Woodpecker ( Melanerpes chrysogenys ) is a species of bird from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). This small species of woodpecker is endemic to Mexico and is restricted to a relatively small area in the central western coastal region. The animals inhabit moderately dry to dry forests, but also open landscapes with only a few trees and plantations. These woodpeckers eat fruits and berries as well as insects , including ants and beetles and their larvae. The way of life of the species is so far largely unknown. The population is assessed as stable and the species is therefore classified by the IUCN as not endangered ("least concern").

description

Gold-cheeked woodpeckers are small woodpeckers with a relatively long, slightly chisel-shaped, pointed beak, which is quite broad at the base. The ridge of the beak is bent downwards. The body length is about 19-22 cm, the weight 55-88 g. This makes them a little smaller and lighter than a great spotted woodpecker . Like most woodpecker species, the species shows a clear sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration. Females are also slightly shorter-billed than males.

In birds of the nominate form , the entire upper side, including wings and tail, is cross-banded or spotted in white on a black background. On the rump and under tail-coverts, the white transverse banding is so strong that these areas appear more white with black banding. The upper wing-coverts are black with large white spots and white tips. When fresh, the wings of the hand show narrow white hems and tips, the white banding is limited to the area near the base and forms a white wing spot halfway up the feather. The two inner control springs are broadly banded in white, the third and fourth control spring pairs counted from the inside show a white band over half the width of the spring and the fifth control springs again show complete white bands.

The lower sides of the head, the neck and the entire underside of the trunk are predominantly monochrome gray-brown to brownish-red with a strong yellowish-olive tone, becoming paler and gray towards the rear. The middle of the abdomen is orange-red to a variable extent. The leg fletching, the rear flanks and the under tail coverts show a blackish, arrowhead-like banding on this basis. The lower wings are brown with white transverse banding, as on the upper side, the hand wings also show a white spot on the lower side. The underside of the tail is a little lighter brown-black than the top.

The beak is black, legs and toes are green-gray. The iris is red to orange-brown, the eye ring blackish.

In the male, the feathers on the forehead are whitish with golden yellow bases. The top of the head is bright red, this color changes to orange-red on the back of the head and a bright golden yellow on the neck. The eye is bordered in black. The lower reins , the cheeks and the ear covers are dark golden yellow. The chin and throat are reddish-brown gold. In the female, the upper head is grayish-brown, the red color is limited to a spot on the back of the head. The cheeks and ear covers are also usually pale yellow.

Vocalizations

A series of whirring or rasping calls is known for the species, as well as short series of sounds, for example a nasal “ki-di-dik” and a loud “chiik-oo, chiik oo, chiik-oo” . It is not yet known whether golden-cheeked woodpeckers drum.

distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to Mexico , where it is restricted to a relatively small area in the central western coastal region. The distribution area includes the slope to the Pacific and the coastal plain from the south of the state of Sinaloa to the north and south from Guerrero to Oaxaca . The total distribution area is about 161,000 km². The animals inhabit moderately dry to dry forests, but also open landscapes with only a few trees and plantations and occur from sea level to around 1500 m.

Systematics

Two subspecies are recognized:

Melanerpes chrysogenys chrysogenys ( Vigors , 1839) ; Northwest of the distribution area from Sinaloa to Nayarit . The nominate form is described above.
Melanerpes chrysogenys flavinuchus ( Ridgway , 1911) ; South of the distribution area from Jalisco to Oaxaca . Somewhat larger and paler than the nominate form, the underside is grayer, with less yellow on the face and the back of the head less brightly colored.

Way of life

The food is apparently obtained mainly by reading, poking and chopping and consists of fruits and seeds as well as insects , including ants and beetles and their larvae. Details are not yet known. The breeding season extends from May to July, the nest holes are built in trees and large cacti . Further information on the breeding biology is not yet available.

Existence and endangerment

There are no estimates of the frequency of the species, the world population was very roughly estimated by BirdLife International in 2010 at 50,000 to 500,000 individuals and viewed as stable. The species is therefore classified by the IUCN as "least concern".

swell

Individual evidence

^ The golden-cheeked woodpecker at BirdLife International . Retrieved July 25, 2010
↑ Hans Winkler, David Christie and David Nurney: Woodpeckers. A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets, and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge 1995: p. 209

literature

Hans Winkler , David Christie, David Nurney: Woodpeckers. A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets, and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge 1995, ISBN 0-395-72043-5 , pp. 60-61 and 209.

Web links

Melanerpes chrysogenys in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed July 25 of 2010.